When manufacturing a product, manufacturers may utilize a fluid dispensing apparatus to dispense precise volumes of fluid onto a substrate or workpiece. For example, the dispensed fluid may include viscous material such as solder flux, solder paste, adhesives such as hot melt adhesive, solder mask, thermal compounds, oil, encapsulants, potting compounds, inks, and silicones. Conventionally, the fluid dispensing apparatus includes a fluid body secured to an actuator body via two or more screws, and a moveable valve member that extends from the actuator body into a fluid chamber defined by the fluid body. The fluid chamber communicates with an outlet through which the precise volume of fluid is dispensed.
Prior to a dispensing operation, the fluid dispensing apparatus is typically mounted to an object capable of aiming the outlet at the substrate or workpiece on which to dispense the volume of fluid. In addition, the fluid body is connected to a fluid supply such that fluid in the fluid supply is able to collect in the fluid chamber. In embodiments where the valve member is pneumatically actuated, the actuator body is also connected to a pressurized air source for actuating the valve member. When the fluid dispensing apparatus becomes active, the moveable valve member may be controlled to rapidly move in a reciprocating manner towards and away from the outlet. During the rapid movement towards the outlet, the moveable valve member forces the precise volume of fluid from the fluid chamber through the outlet and onto the substrate or workpiece, thereby “jetting” or otherwise dispensing the precise volume of fluid out of the fluid dispensing apparatus. Of course, other types of opening and closing the valve member can be used in other embodiments. Furthermore, the fluid may be forced from the fluid chamber more by the pressurization applied to the fluid in other similar embodiments.
A fluid dispensing apparatus of the above type has certain drawbacks. For example, replacement, cleaning, or other maintenance of the fluid body of the fluid dispensing apparatus typically entails removing the two or more screws that secure the fluid body to the actuator body. Such screw removal often necessitates a standard or specialized tool and results in additional manufacturing down time. Furthermore, a manufacturer typically needs to dismount the fluid dispensing apparatus (e.g., by removing other connections of the fluid body and/or the actuator body to ancillary equipment such as a nozzle, a pressurized air source, a mounting device, etc.) to access the screws, which further increases manufacturing down time and may necessitate additional tools. Accordingly, any necessary maintenance or cleaning of the fluid body requiring significant upfront labor just to start the process in these conventional designs.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a fluid dispensing apparatus that overcomes these and other deficiencies of a conventional fluid dispensing apparatus, as described herein.